gowning and gloving technique

[isabing, ASN]

I work in a large OR (24 rooms). We have had an influx of new and traveling techs and RNs recently. Most of our employees have never worked anywhere else. There have been some heated discussions about gowning and gloving. My question: Is it acceptable to open your gloves on top of your gown before going out to scrub, or should you just open your gown and have someone else give you your gloves after you put your gown on?

Lisa

[ShariDCST]

Never did it either way actually. There shouldn't be anything on top of your gown at all except a towel before going out to scrub. I always gowned and gloved myself, so gown had to be accessible first (after the sterile towel of course) and gloves were close by already thrown out on the table or in a basin, but you can't pick up and move gloves from the top of the gown without contaminating the whole thing. (Once you touch them to move them out of the way, where do you put them down?)

So, you can have both open, and nobody has to give you anything as long as you're gowning then gloving yourself, and as long as you can get to the gown first without contaminating either one.

[isabing, ASN]

Some open their gown on a prep table then open a pair of gloves on top. The towel is picked up first, slid out from in between the gloves and the gown, then the gown is picked up from the edge and the gloves slide off onto the sterile wrapper. Others say that you can only take your gloves (still inside inner sterile wrapper) from someone else, and never take anything from the field without gloves on.

[ShariDCST]

Or you could just open gloves first, putting them on the bottom under the gown. No need then to slide things round, less risk of contamination, and is an easier flow to work from top to bottom. This is the method we were taught by a seasoned OR nurse/instructor in our 2 year program and by our clinical instructors, and the one I used for over 15 years.

[jdg0719]

If someone is scrubbing to hold retractors, camera or to "assist", but yet they cannot gown and glove themselves and they need someone to do it for them, then they don't need to be touching anything on the field.

[Sheepwithagun]

I don't understand why you'd need someone to hand you the gloves. Can you explain their rationale?

I was taught to open gown my gown off the field and place my gloves on top. I scrub then dry and Avagard (because I hate coming in drippy), so no need for the towel. Pick up gown from the edge and slide gloves off gown onto spot where gown was sitting. Gown is sterile. Gloves are sterile. All is well in the world.

[RNOTODAY, BSN, RN]

i have never seen it done any other way.... the st opens the gown,usually on a prep table, pops the gloves

on top, and then usually comes in "dry" anyway, from using the avaguard......this is wrong?

[RNOTODAY, BSN, RN]

Or you could just open gloves first, putting them on the bottom under the gown. No need then to slide things round, less risk of contamination, and is an easier flow to work from top to bottom. This is the method we were taught by a seasoned OR nurse/instructor in our 2 year program and by our clinical instructors, and the one I used for over 15 years.

well we dont do that... because they use the gowns wrapping as the field for opening the gloves, know what i mean? so they have to pop them over the gown.....

[gymnut]

Some open their gown on a prep table then open a pair of gloves on top. The towel is picked up first, slid out from in between the gloves and the gown, then the gown is picked up from the edge and the gloves slide off onto the sterile wrapper. Others say that you can only take your gloves (still inside inner sterile wrapper) from someone else, and never take anything from the field without gloves on.

This how we are being taught in school and how I've seen every other tech and nurse gown and glove.

[msn2010]

I usually will open my gloves (outer then indicator) followed by my gown at the corner of the back table. Some likes to open it separate area, however, it is not always available. Use your judgement and knowledge in surgical concious.

[4_Sq]

Where I work, scrub opens gown, circulator opens gloves!

[Fah.Chief]

I don't understand why you'd need someone to hand you the gloves. Can you explain their rationale?

I was taught to open gown my gown off the field and place my gloves on top. I scrub then dry and Avagard (because I hate coming in drippy), so no need for the towel. Pick up gown from the edge and slide gloves off gown onto spot where gown was sitting. Gown is sterile. Gloves are sterile. All is well in the world.

This is how I was taught as well. Can't see any problem with it.